The Mythical Delusion: Free-Market America

This quick video clip should cure, once-and-for-all, the mythical delusion most Americans suffer under; that we have anything even remotely resembling a capitalistic, free-market system here – as is drummed into us all day long in the mainstream media and is – Gasp! – even taught in elite business schools. Great theory, though it’s never really been the case – at least not since any of us were alive.

For those who may not be familiar with what I’m saying, here’s a brief and concise reality-check:

Today’s dominant system, described in the video (and operating both here and abroad), is called “socialism for the already rich”. This system privatizes asset ownership and profits while it socializes ALL costs, risks, and losses.

The only truly “free”, dog-eat-dog, market remaining in America is the market for your labor and mine. Fact is, you are held personally responsible for BOTH your own survival as well as sustaining the increasing demands of the public and private interests you are forced to support, described above.

You must bear all the risks, but where is your just compensation? Oh that… well that’s been mostly “privatized”, somewhere upstream from you. As pointed out in the video, the only remaining cost of doing business for the truly wealthy is the cost of making the proportionally-minimal political contributions necessary to keep the whole dark scheme afloat.

For decades, American workers have been systematically pitted against third-world slave-labor “competitors” working (typically without protections or benefits) for pennies-an-hour in heavily polluting factories – kept well out of view of American consumers in far distant lands.

Ironically, most of these foreign factories are/were set up with our very own, American capital. In other words, your 401k (if you have one) invests directly in the destruction of your own job – or that of a family member, friend, or neighbor. Care to increase your 2011 contribution?

Meanwhile, the Fortune 500 companies who are driving most of this ongoing destruction of the U.S. economy, increasingly move themselves “off-shore” – to further detach themselves from the U.S. tax system. Yet, they still audaciously demand additional tax-breaks and subsidies from us, often under threats that might more accurately be viewed as theft or coercion. Breast-pocket politicians reliably fork over whatever the corporations demand in the name of “saving jobs”.

Our foreign-worker “competitors” (who are consistently able to out-compete us) sell the product of their labor to us in stores and shopping malls we mostly financed ourselves through special “state and local sales tax incentives”. So, to put it bluntly, they get our jobs and our money while they drive up our inescapable taxes, including our local sales and property taxes.

Numerous U.S. laws (including the tax laws) and trade treaties (GATT, NAFTA, others) are specifically written to promote and perpetuate this most unfair and inhumane “game”. The unspoken goal? The complete and total “third-worldization” of America. As evidenced by massive and persistent unemployment, homelessness, foreclosures, food-stamp use, and more, we’re well along that path now.

Until we collectively wake up to all that is going on around us, we will continue to pay for our own demise. It’s the price we pay for not paying attention and refusing to inform ourselves about what is REALLY going on in OUR community, our nation, and our world. As Forrest Gump would say, “Stupid is as stupid does”.

On a brighter note… Want to get really, really rich? You can still do it the old-fashioned way – buy yourself a government (using taxpayer money, of course)! Then, simply legislate the “common” wealth of society into your own “private” pocket. That’s how it’s done. A hidden takeover. Though you’re doing it right before their eyes, few will even know what you’re doing. They’re sound asleep.

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